The Science Foundation's grants 2026 have been announced

Many promising medical inventions never make it into clinical use. The Instrumentarium Science Foundation’s Silmu Grant has been designed to bridge this gap between research and markets. In 2026, the Silmu Grant was exceptionally awarded to three science-based companies:

• Cortisys Oy, which is developing more personalised and precise transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for the brain
• Incight Biomedical Oy , which is bringing photonics-based measurement technology to support decision-making in operating theatres
• Solid Immuno-Oncology Oy(Solid IO), which is developing cancer-on-a-chip technology for predicting responses to immuno-oncological treatments

One of the grant recipients, Solid IO, is based on top-level academic research and aims to bring personalised treatment decision-making into everyday clinical cancer care. Solid IO’s research concept was already supported in 2023 with a Fellow Grantfrom the Foundation during its basic research phase.

“Immuno-oncological therapies have revolutionised cancer treatment, but we still cannot predict with sufficient accuracy who will benefit from these treatments. This leads to ineffective treatment trials, unnecessary side effects and significant costs,” says Dr. Heidi Haikala, Assistant Professor at the University of Helsinki and University Researcher at Tampere University, and one of the founders of Solid IO.

Solid IO’s technology enables drug therapies to be tested using a patient’s own cancer cells and immune system even before treatment begins. The aim is to improve the precision of treatments, promote the effective use of new immunotherapies, and reduce the burden on both patients and healthcare systems. At the same time, each test generates new data on treatment responses, helping to further develop the method and refine treatment selection in the future.

“The grant we received enables a decisive phase in which the technology will be tested for the first time in a real research environment. This early validation is a prerequisite for advancing the research results towards clinical use, further funding and ultimately the market,” Haikala says.

Record amount of grants awarded

Altogether, €1.6 million in grants will be awarded for 2026, marking the largest annual grant sum in the Foundation’s more than 50-year history.

According to Docent Petri Bono, Chair of the Board of the Instrumentarium Science Foundation, the Foundation seeks to safeguard Finnish research and support the future success of top-level Finnish research and technology.

“The Silmu Grant has accelerated the journey of research innovations towards the market. The results achieved demonstrate significant growth and internationalisation. Launched in 2020, this grant type has been a unique and targeted funding instrument aimed at supporting the commercialisation of research-based inventions and business ideas. The grant has been particularly targeted at research-to-business projects that combine academic excellence with potential for international markets.”

Solid IO is a strong example of how research-based technology can directly address key challenges in healthcare.

“More personalised prediction of treatment outcomes improves patient results, reduces unnecessary treatment trials and supports cost-effectiveness in healthcare. The Instrumentarium Science Foundation’s grant enables a crucial step in which promising research advances towards clinical use and commercial applications,” Bono notes.

Fellow Grants also awarded to three researchers

The Foundation’s largest grant, the EUR 150,000 Instrufoundation Fellow Grant, is awarded to three researchers. The Fellow Grant is intended for an independent researcher who has returned to Finland from abroad within the past two years, either to establish a new research group or to strengthen an existing one.

• MD Jussi Nikkola, University of Tampere – diagnostics and optimisation of treatment for urinary tract cancers
• MD Juha Gogulski, Aalto University – development of personalised rTMS treatment for depression
• MD Maykel López Rodríguez, University of Eastern Finland – research on intracellular cholesterol transport

In addition, grants will be awarded to a total of 25 doctoral researchers, three incoming postdoctoral researchers to Finland, and seven postdoctoral researchers departing from Finland to work abroad.

See the list of all 2026 grant recipients.